What Ubisoft Reflections wants from graduates

Newcastle-based studio keen to help students prepare for a career in producing, project management and online programming

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Ubisoft has today announced a new graduate programme that will help students quickly improve their skills and chances of employment after university.

For the first year of the programme, successful applicants will be working at their local Ubisoft studio – in the UK's case, Newcastle-based Ubisoft Reflections.

We spoke to the studio's communications and talent acquisition manager Lorna Evans about what the team is hoping for.

How will Ubisoft's programme differ from similar schemes, both within and outside the games industry?

This is a Ubisoft International Production initiative aiming at detectng talents in the fields of programming and producing.

Our graduates will be offered a specific tailored scheme to ensure they fast track the beginning of their career in the discipline they are recruited for. In addition, they are offered an international experience (one of the two years in a studio abroad).

Reflections is Ubisoft's only UK triple-A studio and this programme really supports the studio's future needs

How will graduates benefit? What will they learn?

They will work closely with senior experts from various disciplines, learning first hand and broadening their experience. Reflections has been established for 30 years this year so our staff are very rich in experience. They will also benefit from a structured learning and development programme that combines on-the-job training with dedicated seminars.

Specifically, how will this help them secure a career in games development after the programme?

A group career advisor, a mentor and a buddy in their studio will follow them as well as their line managers so they will help them advance their career faster. The programme is designed to detect high-potential team members, it will allow the graduates to demonstrate their skills, their ability to work constructively within international teams, and fit with the group’s values.

At the end of the programme, graduates will be armed with an in-depth knowledge of the company and its strategy and will be able to take on the challenges of new and exciting responsibilities.

What kind of graduates are you looking for?

We are looking for graduates with a masters degree, willing to work in project management/producing or online programming.

For project management, we expect graduates to have an entrepreneurial mindset and leadership. They need to be results-oriented, analytical and ave great problem solving skills. They should be a team player, a leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, english speaking and eager to work in different locations. And, of course, have a genuine interest in video games.

For programming, we expect them to have programming skills (C++, Python). They need knowledge about server and database programming, distributed systems and online services, and should also be familiar with online programming aspects such as scalability, replication, optimisation, performance and security testing. An interest in video games market, and online gaming in particular, would also be beneficial. They should be detail and results oriented, able to demonstrate problem solving skills and work autonomously and within multicultural teams.

Newcastle-based developer Reflections turns 30 this year, and its team has come a long way from the days of Destruction Derby and Driver. James Batchelor visited the studio to find out what it has learned along the way